Supporter for gentlemen s trousers-leggings



(No Model.)

0. FISHER. 4 1 SUPPORTBR FOR GENTLEMENS TROUSERS LEGGINGS. No. 587,

Patented Aug. 3, 1 897;

, gig

THE Nona UNITED STATES FFICo ATENT CHARLES FISHER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,434, dated August 3, 1897.

Application filed June 29, 1896. Serial No. 597,404. (No model.) Patented in England November 25, 1895, No. 22,494; in

France December 3, 1895, No. 239,445, and in Belgium December 16,1896,N0. 118,648.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, CHARLES FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporters for Gentlemens Trousers-Leggings, of which the following is a specification.

While in many respects similar to the supporting means of the legging heretofore invented by me and for which I have received Letters Patent in England, No. 22,494, dated November 25, 1895; in France, No. 239,445, dated December 3,1895, and in Belgium, No. 118,648, dated December 16, 1895, for improvements in leggings; this supporter possesses several useful and important points or features not provided in those patents.

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations of the device. Fig. 3 is an inside View. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the frame.

The leggings on which my present im provement is designed to be used are made of some 'soft Waterproof fabric of light weight, such as mackintosh, to have when in position on the trousers-leg the appearance of the garment itself and not that of a legging, and to such end also the device or means to support such legging in place is of such character that it will hold smoothly and easily without binding or wrinkling the cloth of the trousers-leg and at the same time will confine it in such a positive manner in position that it will not Work down or be disturbed by the movements of the wearer. It has the quality of so supporting the legging that a free circulati on of air is allowed between the legging and the trousers-leg incased by it. It is also concealed from sight and does not disfigure or change the appearance of the legging fabric, particularly when viewed from the front.

Leggings of this description are cut generally of the shape shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, having suitable width to fit smoothly over the trousers-leg without producing creases in the cloth and of proper length to extend from the knee down to the bottom of the trousers. The sides are cut to overlap, and a fastening means is provided on these edges to secure them together, such as loops at a at top and bottom 011 the outside of the inner lap and stiff tongues or strips 19 b on the opposite side of the edge that comes on top. Such character of fastening is preferred for the reason that it is entirely concealed and preserves the dressy appearance of the legging. It is a well-known form of fastening used on leggings of other styles, however, and is in itself no essential part of the present invention.

The supporting device to keep this legging in place is constructed of the stiff strip A and the ribs B B. Before being secured to the inside of the legging these parts are made and put together as follows: The strip A, formed of two pieces of canvas, is cut on a curved outline and of proper length to extend around the back of the legging-body. from one side seam ofthe trousers to the other or about the rear half of the legging. The two pieces a a Fig. 5, are stitched together on the bottom and on the two perpendicular sides and then turned and stitched near the edge around the three sides to produce a stiff edge. The edges along the top are secured to the inside of the legging-body above the bot-tom edge bya line'of stitching a and the seam is usually finished by covering it with a strip of narrow tape. 7 Such stiff strip A is secured on the lower ends of the two upright ribs B B, which are formed of thin sheet metal or of some substance or material having proper stiffness and lightness. The ribs and stilfeners usedin the manufacture of corsets will be found a good article for the purpose, and especially the muslin-covered sheet-metal ribs or steels now used in the better qualities of corsets are recommended on account of the readiness with which they can be attached to place by sewing.

The part A is permanently attached to the ribs B B by inserting the lower ends of the ribs into the ends of the strip A between the two thicknesses of the canvas and securing them by stitches. In this position they fit closely against the bottom seam and against the perpendicular seam at the edge of the strip and extend upward substantially parallel with each other, so that, before being attached to the legging the supporters have the form and appearance represented in Fig. 4. In securing it to the legging-body the top edge of the strip A is drawn and held as nearly as possible on a straight line while it is being sewed to the legging, but at the sides and bottom it is not attached to the material of the legging.

The manner of cutting the strip and securing it in place, as above described, causes it to take a curved shape when the legging is placed around the trousers and to conform to the shape of the trousers in a smooth curve Without puckering or creasing. At the same time the bottom edge of the strip stands slightly away from the bottom of the leggingbody.

The ribs B are secured to the legging by stitching each rib to the material of the legging-body from the top edge of the strip A upward to the top of the rib, which is usually made of sufficient length to extend to the top of the legging.

These supporters being made in this manner in quantity for use by the trade are read ily applied after the leggings are made up.

\Vhile similar to the supporting means of the legging heretofore invented by me and for which Letters Patent of the United States were issued to me June 23, 1896,No. 562,78t, this supporter possesses several useful and important points or features not provided in that patent. It has the function of confining and retaining the bottom edge of the trousers in the required turned-up condition to receive the supporting-strip, and more especially on trousers that are made of thin material or the lighter grades of cloth. It has also the quality of being applied and used on leggings made of light-weight fabric for summer wear without disfiguring or detracting from the semen.

dressy appearance of the legging, as the supporter is attached to the rear half or part of the legging-body alone and there are no scams or lines of stitching showing on the front.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A supporting means or device for gentlemens leggings, composed of a strip of stiff fabric to be secured by its top edge to the leggin g-body on the inside and above the bottom edge of the legging, and upright ribs secured to said strip at the edges thereof and attached to the legging-body from the top of the strip upward but detached below said point, the said strip being adapted to rest in the turnedup bottom of the trousers-leg and support the legging, as hereinbefore specified.

2. The combination, with the legging-body, of the supporting means or device consisting of a strip of relatively stiff fabric united by its top edge to the inside of the legging-body, and adapted to extend around the legging on the inside but detached therefrom at the ends andalong its bottom edge, and upright ribs secured at the lower ends in the said strip and detached at such part from the legging, but attached to the material of the logging above said strip, substantially as vhereinbefore described for operation as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto setmy hand and seal.

CHARLES FISHER. [L. s] W itnesses:

O. XV. M. SMITH, EDWARD E. OSBORN. 

